The Stories Behind the Greatest Valentine’s Day Hits

By John Reynolds

Valentine’s Day is all about telling the ones you care about how much you love them. Whether it’s romantic or platonic, to your crush, family, friends or significant other, each person deserves to feel special during the holiday. Rich dark chocolate and classic effervescent champagne will surely make your Valentine’s Day extra festive. However, we can’t forget about the heartwarming melodies that will also make you feel warm and fuzzy inside. We’ve gathered our favorite love songs and are here to share how each one was inspired with you! Maybe it will encourage you to write a love song of your own!

Elvis Aaron Presley, aka “The King of Rock and Roll,” is regarded as one of the most famous cultural icons of the 20th century. One of his biggest hits, ‘Can’t Help Falling In Love,’ had an interesting twist of how it came to be. Originally, the melodic tune was written by George David Weiss (who also wrote Louis Armstrong’s ‘What a Wonderful World’), Luigi Creatore, and Hugo Peretti for Presley to sing in his film, Blue Hawaii (1961). However, the movie’s producers didn’t think it was too “rock and rolly” enough for Elvis’s style. Presley heard this conversation amongst the producers and songwriters and insisted that the song should be used in the film. Although the outcome was great, Elvis struggled with the song in the studio, attempting to record it 29 times to properly breathe and deliver it correctly. The King had a hard time with the song, yet the outcome resulted in it being one of his most famous hits! Persistence is KEY!

We don’t know why and somehow can’t explain in words how this song makes every listener feel a specific type of way. Maybe it’s Whitney’s rich and angelic voice or maybe its because we think of a certain someone when we hear it… either way, the powerful pop-gospel makes us feel all kinds of emotions. However, did you know that this song was not originally Houston’s? ‘I Will Always Love You’ was written and originally recorded by American singer-songwriter, Dolly Parton in 1973. The country version of the song was inspired by her farewell to a former partner and mentor of seven years, Porter Wagoner. Soon after, Parton began to pursue her solo career. So where does Houston fit in this picture? Well, the R&B singer recorded a revamped version of the song for her debut movie, The Bodyguard in 1992. However, her record company didn’t think a song with an acapella intro would be a huge success for the movie. Houston and Coster (her co-star) persisted for the recording to be included in the film. And so it did! To this day, the magnificent rendition of the track is one of Houston’s strongest signature songs. “The effect that it had on the whole world was amazing,” Parton said. “It’s been one of the biggest songs ever.”

Another one-hit wonder! Celine Dion knows how to deliver and does it with such passion, grace, and ease. A song that is typically used for first dances at weddings was actually inspired by songwriter, Diane Warren’s, father which she wrote for the film, Up Close & Personal. “I saw the film with the director, Jon Avnet, on a Friday. I thought, ‘What would I want to hear at the end of the movie?’ Jon played me a tape of a gospel singer to give me a sense of what he was looking for – something really soulful. I went into my office on Saturday, the following day, and the chorus came quickly. Michelle Pfeiffer’s character is thanking Robert Redford’s character for believing in her. The song became personal at the same time that it was telling the story of the film. Once I began, it became a way of thanking my dad for everything he did for me and the support he has always given me. He believed in me and my music from the time I was a little girl. When I was 15, he took me around to music publishers. Not only did he support my goals, but he also supported me financially while I was struggling in the beginning.” When you have the right love and support, you can do anything you put your mind to!

Let’s be honest, we all love a cheesy love song especially on Valentine’s day. It might make us cringe a bit but the catchy tune makes us coming back for more! ‘All of Me’ surely is one of those songs! It was inspired by John Legend’s then-fiancée, now wife, model Chrissy Teigen. The love birds met in 2007 on his music video set for ‘Stereo’ and got married in 2013. The song is filled with honesty and admits that no relationship is perfect. Each couple goes through its own set of problems. But if you love and accept one another, you will be able to give it your all and climb over any obstacle life throws at you. The song also expresses that things might be hard at times and not make sense, but if they have one another by their sides, they will be to conquer the world!.

Nearly 20 years ago, the R&B singer was crazy in love and now she is drunk in love. It’s no surprise to any of us that Beyoncé is one of the biggest pop stars in the world. We found Bey’s explanation of how ‘Drunk in Love’ was sparked (while they were drinking cognac). “I kind of freestyled the verse, and Jay went in and he started flowing out his verse…we just kinda had a party,” she recalled. “It was so great because it wasn’t about any ego, we weren’t trying to make a hit record… we were just having fun… and I think you can hear that in the record.” Although there was some controversy with Beyoncé and the producers about who actually wrote the hit, we can’t help but have a bag of popcorn and googly heart eyes when the Mr. and Mrs. Carter show is on! Also, check out the case study project we did on ‘Drunk In Love’ on MusicPromoToday!

Love is one of the most powerful feelings ever. When somebody loves us, they give us the strength to be better versions of ourselves. Being loved unconditionally gives us the freedom to be who we want to be. Our team at MusicPromoToday wishes all of our readers a very Happy Valentine’s Day. Whether you will spend it with the love of your life, your family and friends, or even you fluffy adorable doggo, the most important thing is that you spread your love to those who surround you!

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